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Beyond the Byline: Should we storm the DPW?

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Higashioka’s homers help RailRiders stay in front of another late Louisville rally

HUGHESTOWN &#8212; Nothing seems to come easy for Mountain Post.The team had to use its top two pitchers in Friday&#8217;s opening game of the Senior Legion Region 5 Tournament, so the Wyoming Valley champs were a little shorthanded on Saturday.Still, the team staked an eight-run lead against Susquehanna Valley League champion Bloomsburg on Saturday in the winner&#8217;s bracket semifinals at Pittston Area Primary Center.But Mountain Post still had to hang on for a 12-9 victory to advance to the winner&#8217;s bracket final against league rival Swoyersville at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.&#8220;The wind was blowing out pretty good, so the ball was moving out. If you hit it well, you have a chance,&#8221; Mountain Post manager Tony Caladie said about the big offensive numbers in the game.Mountain Post broke out the bats early using extra-base hits.In the first inning, Wickiser and Justin Darden hit back-to-back triples to help MP take a 2-0 lead. In the second, Matt Taleroski (3 for 4, four RBI) tripled in two runs. Darden followed with a two-run homer, and it looked like the rout was on with a 6-0 led after two innings.&#8220;We knew we were a little light on pitching, and we couldn&#8217;t throw our two best guys (Corey Chalk and David Wickiser), so we came out and put up (six quick runs) and set the tone that way,&#8221; said Darden, who finished a double shy of the cycle and drove in three runs. &#8220;If you do that, you&#8217;re gonna win nine times out of 10.&#8221;After three more Mountain Post runs in the fourth, with one coming on a single by Darden, Taleroski singled in two more in the fifth as the team extended the lead to 11-3.Two more runs were needed in the fifth to end the game early due to the 10-run rule. Those runs were on base but ended up being stranded there.Then Bloomsburg rallied for six runs in the top of the sixth, as it sent 11 batters to the plate. Bloomsburg pounded out five hits and two walks &#8212; and left two on base &#8212; to cut the lead to 11-9.&#8220;We really thought we had them,&#8221; Caladie said. &#8220;We were a hit away from getting outta here a little early with a 10-run (rule decision), but credit to them for coming back.&#8221;Stew Caladie &#8212; who also pitched a third of an inning on Friday after Chalk and Wickiser both saw time early in the contest &#8212; got the start on the mound Saturday and threw well until the heat and humidity started to tire him out late.After five innings, Caladie had allowed just three runs on seven hits as his team opened that 11-3 lead. But in the sixth, as he neared 100 pitches, he was getting fatigued.&#8220;He got a little bit tired. It&#8217;s extremely hot out here. We hadn&#8217;t stretched him out that far all season,&#8221; Tony Caladie said about his nephew&#8217;s pitching performance. &#8220;I&#8217;m extremely proud of him. He gave us what we needed.&#8221;When Mountain Post and Swoyersville meet Sunday afternoon, it will be the fourth time the two have met this season. Mountain Post has won two of the previous meetings, including last week in the league title contest.Region 5 Senior Legion tournamentMountain Post 12, Bloomsburg 9Bloomsburg`AB`R`H`BISmith cf`4`1`1`0Reifer rf`4`1`1`1Zeisloft ph` 1`0`1&#8217;0Mumaw 3b`1`1`0`0Davis ph`1`0`0`0Lewis c`4`1`1`1Harris 2b`2`1`1`1Anderson ss`4`1`1`0Gensemer dh`4`1`2`2Thiverage 1b`3`0`0`0Yorty ph`1`0`1`1Thrush lf`4`2`4`2Totals`33`9`13`8Mountain Post`AB`R`H`BITaleroski cf`4`2`3`4Wickiser 2b`2`2`1`1Darden 3b` 4`3`3&#8217;3Palmiero ss`3`1`0`0Borum c`3`0`0`1Bafunno lf`4`0`1`0Chalk 1b`2`1`1`0Schwartz dh`3`2`1`0Mendoza rf`4`1`1`0Totals`29`12`11`9Bloomsburg`002`106`0 &#8212; 9Mountain Post`240`321`x &#8212; 122B: Reifer. 3B: Taleroski, Wickiser, Darden. HR: Darden.Bloomsburg`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SOLong (L) `1.2`7`6`6`0`1Harris `3.0`5`5`0`3`1Smith`0.1`0`0`0`1`0Anderson`1.0`1`1`1`0`2Mountain Post`IP`H`R`ER`BB`SOCaladie (W) `5.1`9`7`7`5`2Albee`0.1`3`2`2`1`1Dean`1.1`1`0`0`1`0Region 5 Tournament schedule(at Pittston Area Primary Center, Hughestown)FridaySwoyersville 9, Tri-Boro 8Hazleton Stripes &amp; Strikes 9, Dickson City 8Bloomsburg 10, West Scranton 0 (6 innings)Mountain Post 4, Berwick 3 (9 innings)SaturdayElimination gamesDickson City 10, Tri-Boro 0West Scranton 4, Berwick 1SemifinalsSwoyersville 13, Hazleton 1 (5 innings)Mountain Post 12, Bloomsburg 9SundayConsolation gamesHazleton vs. West Scranton, 9:30 a.m.Dickson City vs. Bloomsburg, noonWinner&#8217;s bracket finalSwoyersville vs. Mountain Post, 2:30 p.m.MondayGames at 2:30 and 5 p.m.TuesdayGames at 2:30 and 5 p.m. (if necessary)<style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Dave RosengrantFor Times Leader</bylineMeta></div>

Region 5 Legion playoffs: Mountain Post’s early outburst stands up vs. Bloomsburg